Synthesizers have become a staple feature in most modern music and audiovisual projects. Whether you’re after the classic sounds of analog synth models or want to dive into sound design, there are a wealth of VST synths to choose from.
We’ll go over the best free and paid VST synth plugins out there for those on a budget, as well as those looking to go up another level in their synthesized sounds.
The Best Free VST Synthesizers
If you’re just getting started using and composing with synthesizers, make sure youlearn about the different types of synthesisand related terminology. Learn to use the best free synths well, and you can produce professional-grade audio.
Surge is an open-source, hybrid synth that offers the most extensive set of synthesis types and tools of all the free VST synths. This makes it, arguably, the best free synth available. The only downside is that the user interface is not the most accessible for beginners.
Under the hood, you’ll find a dual synthesis engine whose features include 10 effects for eight FX slots, external audio processing capabilities, three oscillators per engine, 12 LFO modules per voice, and more. All of its features combine to make Surge an incredibly versatile synthesizer that you should definitely consider adding to your creative toolset.
2.TAL NoiseMaker
TAL NoiseMaker is a great free synth capable of emulating both classic analog synthesizer sounds and synth parts in modern electronic music. It offers two LFO modules, two oscillators, a variety of effects, and a multi-mode filter.
While it doesn’t provide quite as many features as Surge, it stands out for its envelope module which can be edited with great control to form precise waveform shapes. This can lead to interesting oscillator tones or LFO waveforms that provoke unique forms of modulation on a variety of synth parameters. This makes it a great tool for experimentation and sound design.
Those interested in sound design should consider learninghow to reverse audio. In so doing, you will double the sonic possibilities of each sound and effect.
3.Vital Basic
Vital Basic is a wavetable synthesizer whose UI is perhaps the most sleek and accessible of the free synths in this list. While it may be a good choice for beginners, veterans will appreciate that this synth competes with wavetable heavyweights, such as Massive and Serum (which we’ll look at later on). This is partially due to Vital Basic being the free version of Vital Plus/Pro.
Vital Basic offers 75 presets and 25 wavetables. While the more advanced versions offer a greater number of presets and wavetables, Vital Basic possesses the same engine and features as its paid counterparts. This makes Vital Basic one of the best synths you can get in terms of sonic quality and versatility.
OB-Xd is a software emulation of the classic Oberheimer analog synthesizers. However, OB-Xd focuses on capturing the sonic coloration of the mentioned hardware, and then diverts from its inspirations to deliver distinct features and developments.
Beginners looking to try out subtractive synthesis will enjoy its well-designed UI and its ready-made presets that take you back in time to the 80s. There are then ample parameters to evolve your synth sounds over time, such as its LFO, frequency, and pulse width modulation controls.
Make the most of its oscillator, filter, voice variation, and envelope controls, and you may design the high-quality synth sounds you’re after.
The Best Paid VST Synthesizers
The best VST synth plugins often go hand-in-hand with a hefty price tag. verify to check whether the developers put their synths on sale, so you’re able to save as much money as possible.
Serum is one of the best wavetable synthesizers around, competing with Native Instrument’s Massive for the role of go-to synth for bassline and electronic music producers. It presents a highly intuitive UI that gives a clear visual indication of envelope and LFO waveforms that can help beginners and veterans alike.
Serum features over 450 presets and 144 wavetables. You can also import external audio, generate your own wavetables, and modulate all the parameters and built-in effects on display. It has since become a benchmark for its visual design, and continues to be an engine for the latest and greatest electronic sounds.
Diva is a unique synth that combines stellar emulations of five legendary hardware synth models with the benefits of a software interface. In practice, this means that you can blend the rich sounds and filter modes of one analog synth model with the quirks and strengths of another.
Diva offers over 1200 presets, five oscillator and filter models (based on the five classic synths), three ADSR envelope models, and more. Its wealth of features lets you generate a hybrid synth sound that analog synth lovers will want to get their hands on.
Learn about the best reverb pluginsand thebest compression pluginsto complement your choice of synth.
7.Pigments
Similar to Serum, Pigments provides an excellent UI and visual design that can make the complicated elements of sound design simple. Like all the best synths, you can generate all kinds of sounds, ranging from lo-fi styles to drum and bass.
Pigment features 1400 presets and four sound engine types: Wavetable, Virtual analog, Sample & Granular, and Harmonic. You can then pair together a combination of such synthesis types, and also add sample noise and a utility oscillator on top.
All of these elements combine to give you everything you could possibly need to produce any kind of sound. To further refine your synth sounds and carve out a space for them in your mix,learn how to use EQs.
Get the Best Synths for Your Audio Projects
To create unforgettable bass lines or sounds you can call your own, you should equip yourself with the right synth. If you’re looking for a great free synth, choose Surge XT for its unparalleled versatility or OB-Xd for its great analog synth sounds. For easy-to-use UIs coupled with extensive sonic possibilities, try Vital Basic and TAL Noisemaker.
Go for Diva for its unique take on brilliant analog sounds, and use Serum or Pigment for highly intuitive UIs and limitless sound design capabilities. Do so, and you’ll be closer to bringing out that unique sound within you.
